Doctor putting words to life

Allah tha shukur

A coconut is the only thing my Mum would let me buy for her with my first wages because “Allah tha shukur beta, I have everything”

If there is one thing that my Mum repeats more than any other it is Allah tha shukur*. For any good news. And even for bad news. The good news seems obvious. But even the bad news?

If for example, I tell my Mum I have failed a driving test, she would say never mind and then would probably say Allah tha shukur for all the exams that I have passed until that point and then tell me to pray and be grateful for the good things in my life. (Reactions like this are why this woman is the best person I know).

Learning to be grateful is a skill. It can be learnt. And it is something that I am always trying to work on. My life (like most people) isn’t perfect and I don’t pretend that it is. But there is always good in it (like most people). You just need to wake up to it.

There are always things to complain about and in a career like medicine when you are always looking to the next thing to achieve you can lose the appreciation for what you already have.

My Mum still tells me(yesterdays conversation) “Salma, Allah tha shukur that you got a place at Medical School. There are people who wanted it just as much as you and you got in.”

This is a reminder that I am grateful for.

So, the next time you find yourself complaining about all the things in your life, take a second and look at all the good things you have. Try and be grateful for them. Waiting until someone threatens to take them away from you isn’t the only time you should try to do this.